Indian census have been the basis of partition of India (1947), linguistic reorganization of the states (1956), identification of the scheduled castes and the scheduled tribes (1935) and later the ‘other backward castes’ by the Mandal Commission. Indian census has origins in the colonial past originally established with a view to strengthen British control over Indian colony rather than to improve the administration. British used the census to create new identities and divisions in society to counter the emerging nationalism. Their basic purpose of dividing the people on sectarian lines was meant to pursue their policy of divide and rule so that they could perpetuate their colonial rule in India. The British administrators encouraged divisive policies rooted in census data and findings to institutionalize the divisions amongst the people in India.